Storm Clouds and Enlightenment

A few years ago I was traveling down a long, straight stretch of highway. Off to the east was a small but ominous storm. The clouds were dark and I could see the heavy rain coming down. I thought to myself that there was no way anyone caught in that storm could see far enough to know that sunshine surrounded that isolated patch of darkness. I then thought about how life can be this way as well. So often when we’re in the midst of a storm, the clouds and rain block our view of the sunshine that surrounds us.

It was kind of a cool metaphor, but nothing extraordinary really. I don’t know that I’m going to win any prize for that amazing analogy, and yet that quick thought has stuck with me for years.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. said, “When a man has the manifestation from the Holy Ghost, it leaves an indelible impression on his soul, one that is not easily erased. It is Spirit speaking to spirit, and it comes with convincing force” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:151).

I may have understood something more about “life’s storms” that day, but I also learned a little something about how the Spirit of the Lord speaks to me. It was just a passing thought, but it was accompanied by a spiritual witness that both magnified and intensified the idea. A simple metaphor left an indelible impression on my soul and the lesson learned has stayed with me.

"Which Stregtheneth Me"

This one is for all the word geeks out there. I make my disclaimer now that this doesn’t work in every language. But when I discovered an ambiguity in the English version, it spoke to me. So don’t call the bad-interpretation-of-sacred-writ police – it’s just a little thought that passed through my head. You can take it or leave it.

I love Phillipians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Here’s why. It has to do with the words “which” and “strengtheneth.” In English, this verse can have two meanings. Both “which” and “strengtheneth” can refer to two either “Christ” or “all things.” So, we can restructure the sentence to read “Through Christ which strengtheneth me, I can do all things,” or “Through Christ, I can do all things which strengtheneth me.” Again, this doesn’t work in all languages, but for me the English translation stresses an important point. It is Christ who gives us the strength to do all things. And it’s the things that strengthen us for which we receive help from Christ. So Through Christ, who strengthens me, I can do all things that will strengthen me.

Maybe I’m talking in circles here. But I like it anyways.

Healed by Degrees

In Mark 8:22-26, Jesus performs a miracle different than any other recorded in the scriptures. He heals a blind man in stages, and it is the only recorded instance in which a miracle is performed by degrees. The first time the Savior touches the blind man, he is able to see “men as trees, walking” (v. 24). In other words, he was able to see figures of people that lacked detail. The Savior touches the blind man’s eyes again and “he was restored, and saw every man clearly” (v. 25).

In regards to this miracle, Bruce R. McConkie said, “It may be that the Lord followed this course to strengthen the weak but growing faith of the blind man. It would appear that the successive instances of physical contact with Jesus had the effect of adding hope, assurance, and faith to the sightless one” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:379-80).

I like this story. I think that sometimes when I’m looking for a miracle, I also expect an immediate solution. But it doesn’t always work this way. In fact, it often doesn’t work this way. If I pray for patience, or hope, or kindness, etc., I typically don’t get the whole load I need for my entire lifetime all at once. Things tend to come more slowly than that, and with a lot more effort. Like the blind man, the Lord also blesses me in stages in order to help me grow my faith.

Elder McConkie continues, “[M]en should seek the Lord’s healing grace with all their strength and faith, though such is sufficient for a partial cure only, following the receipt of which, however, they may then gain the added assurance and faith to be made whole and well every whit.” The beginnings of a miracle are meant to increase my faith, thereby making my faith sufficient for what I haven’t yet received. So as I ask for a miracle, I need to approach it with the attitude of “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Then when I recognize the beginnings of a miracle, my faith will grow and I can gain enough faith to “be made whole and well every whit.”

A Sure Foundation

As a primary kid, I was always a bit confused by the song “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man.” I didn’t understand why it was so wise to build a house on a rock. Lacking any background in construction and/or real estate (and maybe lacking a little common sense as well), I pictured in my teeny head a house teetering precariously on top of a large boulder. Obviously when the rains came down and the floods came up, the house on that rock wouldn’t stand a chance! The sand, on the other hand, would be flat and smooth. To me, that made way more sense.

On a side note, am I the only kid who was totally lost on the symbolism of primary songs? For many years I thought “Give Said the Little Stream” was a song about watering the lawn.

At any rate, I’m glad to inform you that I now have at least a rudimentary understanding of cement slab foundations and can now see clearly why that would be better for the house-building in question.

I also understand why the sand is a bad idea. Sure, you can smooth it out all flat, but sand is shifty. It is easily blown around by wind or washed away by water and quickly gives to even the slightest weight or pressure. Building a house on the sand is like committing ourselves to the doctrine of the world. Our foundation would be easily influenced by the winds and waves of our social environment. And our foundation would hold no resistance against the various pressures of life. No wonder building on sand is a foolish choice.

So then it really must be a wise man who builds his house on a solid foundation that won’t be unsettled by the doctrine of the world.

“And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12).

Well Versed in Gospel Truths

At the completion of my graduate work, I had to take a comprehensive exam in order to graduate. I majored in English Literature and had to study nearly 50 texts over the course of one semester to prepare. These included some novels, poems, and theoretical works. I spent a lot of time in a study group trying to understand the texts and how they related to each other.

For a few days before the exam, I was pretty distracted. My mind was so wrapped up in the literature I’d been studying that everything in the world around me seemed to relate to it. If someone said “blue,” I immediately thought of what the color blue symbolizes in Emily Dickenson’s poetry.

At the time I remember thinking about how cool it would be to know the scriptures that well – to have everything that happens in the world around me remind me of something I studied in the gospel. I got myself a little reminder of this in our last General Conference. Ann Dibb said “In today’s world, there are a multitude of activities, subjects, and interests vying for every minute of our attention. With so many distractions, do we have the strength, discipline, and commitment to remain focused on what matters most? Are we as well versed in gospel truths as we are in our studies, careers, hobbies, sports, or our texts and tweets?” (I Know It. I Live It. I Love It., emphasis added)

Honestly, I no longer remember what the color blue symbolizes in Dickenson’s poetry. Probably because that knowledge doesn’t play a role in my daily life. But gospel truths do, so there’s a benefit to constantly looking for the relation between our lives and the scriptures (and other gospel teachings). That way when we have a trial we can think, “oh yeah, that happened to David” and get a little help from his experience. Or when we have a question about a gospel principle we can think, “Elder So-and-So said something about that in conference” and then reread that talk for a little more clarification. 

Learning those fifty texts was a big project. Learning the scriptures that well (or better, I should say) is a big project too. But I think it’s meant to be a life-long pursuit. Plus, we have help: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26, emphasis added). As we pursue our gospel studies, the Holy Ghost will help us remember the things we need at the moments we need them.

Moving on to Greater Challenges

I’ve heard it said that if you want to speak to the Lord, pray; if you want the Lord to speak to you, read the scriptures. This evening, the voice of the Lord came through to me loud and clear as I was reading in Alma Chapter 8. I love it when words jump write off the page as though they were written specifically for you.

I’m studying out of a book written by David J. Ridges, entitled Your Study to the Book of Mormon Made Easier. The opening comment to Alma Chapter 8 caught my attention: “It is quite difficult, and almost a shock, after having great success in the work of the Lord to which you are called, to run into a brick wall, so to speak, where your efforts in your calling from the Lord are unsuccessful and you are openly rejected by those whom you desire to help.”

No kidding!

I’m almost always called to teaching positions in the church. It seems to be where the Lord most often wants me, and I love it. Recognizing that all gifts come from God, I was starting to think that I’ve become a decent teacher. But recently I’ve had the experience of coming into contact with a difficult student, and I’ve spent the last few days wondering if I’m really as good of a teacher as I thought. Alma’s experience helps me understand what’s going on.

By way of background to Chapter 8, Alma’s proselytizing efforts have been successful in both Zarahemla and Gideon. The beginning of the chapter tells us that he was successful in Melek as well. But then Alma gets sent to Ammonihah. Even after exerting great efforts in prayer (see v. 10), the people still reject him, ridicule him, spit on him, and kick him out of the city. Tough crowd! Verse 14 says that Alma was “weighed down with sorrow.”

It is my experience that after we’ve had some success in spiritual matters, the Lord gives us more difficult challenges. It seems that once we are thriving, that’s when we’re pushed to the next level.

This is not something we are unfamiliar with. Advancing to something more difficult is part of life. For instance, no member of the freshman basketball team stays on the freshman team throughout his high school career. You start there, and then as you get better you move to a team that plays at a higher level. Similarly, no professional athlete started as a pro – he/she had to work to get there. We understand this in terms of athletics, academics, careers, etc. We’re like the “big fish” in our pond and then get relocated to a bigger pond and realize there’s still room to grow.

This same growth happens in spiritual matters too. I thought I was a good teacher, and then I got a more difficult class and realized I’ve still got a lot to learn. These things can try our faith, making us doubt our capacities and/or wonder if the Lord is still helping us. Luckily, Alma’s story affirms that the Lord does continue to help us as we pass through more difficult proving ground.

In his sorrow, Alma is visited by an angel who tells him to rejoice because of his faithfulness (see v. 15). And instead of excusing Alma from the responsibility of teaching the people in Ammonihah, he sends Alma back. Alma needs to grow, and the people of Ammonihah need to hear his words. The beauty of it is that the Lord helps him by sending Amulek first to receive him into his house, and then to help him teach the people (see vv. 20 and 29).

As we advance through life, facing test and trials of increasing difficulty, I believe we can expect that the Lord will provide us with an “Amulek,” whatever form that aid comes in. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). We are strengthened, by him, and enabled to take on greater challenges.

Great Beginnings

Anyone who’s ever written a paper of any kind understands how difficult it is to begin. Writing an introduction can be challenging. It needs to succinctly present the theme of everything that follows and set the appropriate tone, all while drawing the reader in. And a writer has only a few sentences to accomplish this.

As a student of English, I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on beginnings. There are a few excellent ones: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities). Dickens was a genius! Then there is the much more brief, but oh-so-well-known “Call me Ishmael” of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. Of course I must give my favorite beginning its due notice: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in a want of a wife” (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice). With an introduction like that, what woman wouldn’t want to read that book?!

So then what of the first line of the Book of Mormon, which reads “I. Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.” This book is considered to be the keystone of my religion and is the foundation of my own personal faith. So as I begin posting on this blog, which I intend to be primarily an outlet for the recording of spiritual thoughts and experiences, I have to carefully consider how to begin – how to present myself to my reader.

I do, in fact, hope to have readers. And if, over the course of the next few months or years I manage to accumulate half a dozen, I hope my words inspire you to find your own faith, or grow whatever faith you already have. And so in an attempt to follow Nephi’s pattern I submit to you the following:

I, Susie, having been born of goodly parents (I really was – my parents are awesome!), and having had a good-sized handful of years in which I’ve both struggled and rejoiced in coming to understand God and his goodness, therefore I present to an as-yet unknown reader some of the thoughts of my heart. I hope they lift and inspire, or at least make you think about things you may not have otherwise considered. But most of all, I hope they draw you closer to God.